Dazzler Vol 1 36
Antagonists: * Other Characters: * , Manager of Reilly's Ace of Clubs * , Pianist at Reilly's Ace of Clubs * | StoryTitle1 = The Human Touch | Synopsis1 = The Ace of Clubs is having trouble keeping a regularly nightly singer due to the fact that the costumed criminal Tatterdemalion appears warning the women from performing and making them all quit. When Alison Blaire goes there to apply for the job, her assumed alias is seen right through by the clubs owner Rick Conti. Conti however, is interested in the added business of having a mutant performer. Alison is disgusted at first, telling Conti that she is a musician not a freak-show, however Conti convinces her to take the job because he is desperate to find a replacement singer, and will hire her if she can wow him with her audition. With Julia Walker, the clubs pianist playing the piano Alison does just that with her amazing vocals and Conti hires her on the spot. When Conti offers her a whack of money to buy some new outfits, Alison declines telling him that she has a policy of only accepting money that she has earned. Leaving the club she notices an old poster advertising Julia as the clubs main singing act, and realizes that Julia Walker was the famous actress of the same name and wonders what happened to her career. She is picket up by her friend Janet who she is now living with, and while the two are waiting at a red light Tatterdemalion secretly pops out of a manhole and uses his acid secreting gloves to compromise the tires of Janet's car. This causes them to burst as they are driving on and they get into an accident. As Janet goes to get help, Alison is grabbed from behind and knocked out by Tatterdemalion, who takes her down into the sewers where he threatens her not to perform at the Ace of Clubs through fear of harm. Dazzler flees Tatterdemalion and his burning touch however the deranged criminal has the advantage over her as he knows the sewers well and she does not. Alison has a big break when she manages to find an exit just as a city worker is coming down to work in the sewers. Rising out of the manhole, she finds that tow truck drivers have come for Janet's car. Reunited with Janet, Dazzler tells her what happened unaware that Tatterdemalion is watching them from behind bushes. While out shopping the next day Alison runs into Julia, who is catty at first but then apologizes and invites Alison out to coffee. There she tells Alison about how her career ended. She was dating fellow actor Michael Wyatt who wanted to make it big, however he was not quite so popular and he would be rejected from many roles. Michael would later become sour of Hollywood and leave for Los Vegas to try and open a casino. This venture failed, and Julia never heard from Michael again. Before leaving Michael warned her that Hollywood would chew her up and spit her out. Not listening to him at the time, Julia had later grown to realize that when he own career ended he was absolutely right. After telling her story Julia leaves, and Alison vows to not let anything ruin her career not even Tatterdemalion. That night, Alison performs at the club to a packed audience and with Julia playing the piano. Tatterdemalion attacks the club, however when he sees Julia -- and recognizes her -- he shamefully flees the scene with Dazzler in tow. Alison easily defeats Tatterdemalion with her light powers and unmasks him, and recognizes him as Michael Wyatt. He then takes the confused criminal to Julia and the two have a tearful reunion, Alison leaves them to their privacy. The next day at the apartment she share with Janet, Alison explains her night and laments over the fact that she was attacked again, Janet tells her to keep her head up and that someday things will get better for the mutant singer. | Writer1_1 = Linda Grant | Penciler1_1 = Geof Isherwood | Inker1_1 = Mike Gustovich | Inker1_2 = Joe Rubinstein | Colourist1_1 = Petra Scotese | Letterer1_1 = Diana Albers | Editor1_1 = Michael Carlin | Notes = | Trivia = | Recommended = | Links = }}